Orange
by star dust11
Summary: Kinda mushy. One of those stories you write on a lonely, really hurricane-like rainy day...


Orange By: Stardust (Aylwen Dreamsong)  
  
Meryl was a happy Maiar. She always was singing and playing, never would you catch Meryl without a smile. Meryl's laughing brought joy to Yavanna's woods and gardens, where she roamed. Meryl loved the plants and the beauty they projected. Any day where Meryl got to stand by Yavanna herself and help her plant more flowers would be a day filled with happiness and laughter. Although many Maiar loved her as a sister, and she was always playful and.well, goofy, Meryl took life very seriously. Anybody's life, not just her owns. Some days she went to see the Halls of Mandos, just to say hello to the spirits that drifted there. Yet she was joyful that their spirits had and might live again. Meryl was all around idealistic, energetic, and extreme. All Maiar generate a light, yet Meryl's was the brightest and happiest of all of them. She was mad curious about everything.  
  
One time it chanced that Meryl met another Maiar visiting Yavanna's gardens to see the flowers. His name was Oranwe. He was very calm; he was one of Aule's people. It was late afternoon, and he sat on the grass, looking up into the sky. Forever seemed to be in his eyes. Meryl was watering some of the flowers, singing a song as she danced through the bushed and blossoming trees. Meryl was closing her eyes, running through the garden, when she tripped over a body lying on the grass. Oranwe helped her up, and both apologized. "I have not seen you before, fair maiden," Oranwe spoke with graceful gentle words. "Nor I you, dear sir. Why hast thou not seen the gardens before now?" Meryl spoke in a happy tone. "I do not know. Suddenly I am drawn to its presence. Which, is strange, for I am of Aule's builders," He said, motioning to Yavanna and her handmaiden's great works. "Then 'tis a wonder we have not met, for our brethren Vala are Husband and Wife," Meryl spoke now, picking up her small now empty pail and getting ready to go refill it with more water. "Wait! Beautiful handmaiden of Yavanna! I have not gotten thy name!" Oranwe called as Meryl turned, a smile playing upon her lips. "My name is Meryl, I am the spirit of life and energy. I dwell here often, and hope so see you more," Meryl called back, and danced off in the other direction, singing softly.  
  
Many times over the elven count of four months the two met and spoke to each other. Oranwe sometimes brought gifts he had wrought from Aule's teaching. Each gift was received with great joy and was returned by a song sung by Meryl. Sometimes Oranwe brought a gift just to hear Meryl's voice. One day a message came to Meryl from Oranwe, asking her to go to the very center of Yavanna's garden at midnight that night. Meryl rejoiced and her friends in the gardens helped her make a lovely dress of light blue that shimmered in the night sky, which was lit by the stars. On it was small designs of stars and leaves. She sat in her favorite place of the garden, waiting for the hour that she should travel to the center of Yavanna's gardens. Her favorite place was a patch of especially springy green grass, with a bush of yellow flowers on the right. Meryl had grown these flowers, putting her thought and might into the making. She decided to call the flowers Black-Eyed Susans, for the center of the flower was black. At long last the time came that she should walk towards the place of meeting. She came dancing happily into the small circle surrounded by flower bushes that inhabited the center of the garden. Oranwe stood in the exact center of the center, you might say. He spread his arms wide and Meryl smiled and ran to him, and they embraced in a loving hug. Then they sat down and talked for a time. "I feel bad for the Elves, the Men, and the Dwarves that shall never see the beauty of this garden, and of the only works that were left unmarred by Morgoth," Meryl said suddenly. Oranwe looked straight into her brown eyes. "There is something about the way you looked at me. Made me think for a moment, that maybe.we were meant to be. You were the question I needed an answer to. Now I have it. I love you; you're all that I want. Have you ever seen the world change before your eyes? The people you ignored before, they can take you by surprise. Something just happens when I am near you," Oranwe said and took Meryl into a kiss.  
  
In the days following that unforgettable night, Oranwe and Meryl were only separated by their jobs with their Valar. Every night they spent talking, singing and dancing. Until that one fateful day came along. There was one Maiar; his name was Birion, in the tongue of Men. He was a manipulative Maiar, and he was jealous of the praise the great Oranwe received from Aule. Yet that was in the beginning of days. Ever since Oranwe gained the love of the beautiful Meryl, Birion's hate grew. One night, in his restlessness, he made a plan to lure Oranwe away from Meryl, so that he could dispose of the competition.  
  
It was one fall day, when the leaves were turning colors and the flowers petals flung out their best beauty before the frost. Oranwe and Meryl were laughing as they danced around the gardens of Yavanna. Birion came treading through the flowers, and disgust seemed to be in his eyes. He had little love for plants and such. "Friend Oranwe! Our Lord Aule calls thee from the smithies.he wishes to speak to you. Do not fret! It is good news, I believe!" Birion called to the lively and happy couple. A gleam was in his eyes that none hath seen in him before then, nor should ever be seen again. Oranwe waved and kissed Meryl goodbye, and walked with Birion, following his lead. After a while, Oranwe was confused, for Birion took him nowhere near the smithies of Aule's palace. "Good sir, where art thou taking me?" Oranwe asked, with not a bit of worry, for he never expected what would happen. "My friend, I only bring you to show you a new doorway to the smithies! Do not worry your happy heart!" Birion cheerily spoke. Then they came to a clearing. Oranwe stood now, as Birion walked towards the edge of a small circle, which was outlined with sparkling dust. Oranwe noticed that he stood in the center of the circle. Birion now recited a spell, which he had learned from a friend he met once. His friend, Curunír, was considering asking the Valar if he could travel with five others to Middle-Earth. Birion's voice boomed as he spoke:  
  
"Amawil atta lya anama  
  
Fly up! Soar to your doom  
  
Sina ná nya atacar  
  
This is my revenge  
  
Atanlya nar  
  
Mortal you are  
  
Inyë etementa elyë  
  
I banish you  
  
Tanen. Amawil atta lya anama  
  
Therefore, Fly up! Soar to your doom"  
  
Oranwe's eyes widened with terror as listened to the spell cast upon him. Birion smiled and raised his arms up, then back down again. "My dear friend, I know thou hast not known the bitter distain mortals feel when they die, when they are sent to Eru knows where. Yet now, thou shalt know. Thou hast taken everything I ever wanted from me, and now you will be destroyed!" Birion screamed with a look of glee in his eyes. Oranwe stepped back a foot, but Birion got there first. Birion took a dagger hidden under his cloak, and stabbed Oranwe where his heart was. In his anger and frustration towards this being, Birion stabbed yet again in the stomach. Oranwe lay alive, yet barely, on the ground. Birion heard voices as the wind came up and floated around him. He fled, for he knew the moment he stabbed what his consequences would be for killing a brethren Maiar.  
  
Meryl stood in the garden next to her favorite bush of yellow flowers, and suddenly a pain shot through her body. She felt something tear her heart apart, a feeling the lively, joyful Maiar had never felt before. She had to go find Oranwe. In her mind, she could see where he lay. She ran and ran to a place she had never been, her heart guiding her. She came to a clearing far away from her lovely garden, and lo! On the ground lay her love, her heart and soul. She ran to his fallen body, and he breathed deep and shallow breaths. She picked his head up and laid it in her lap and stroked his face. "Please do not leave me, my love! I shall not be happy anymore if you leave! What shall I do without you? What will happen to everyone without you? I will be your bright star, your shining light! I will always be here, I will always be here! Please speak to me! When you feel you can't escape the madness I will make it easier to bear! Here's a message I am sending, I hope you receive it! I will love you for the rest of my life! I will be your star and guided light! Please do not leave!" Meryl cried for the first time, and in all lands the spirit of Happiness and energy brought sorrow to the sky. She touched the blood that fell from her now Mortal love.  
  
At that moment, the beautiful yellow petals of the Black-Eyed Susans came flying into the air, and flew with the wind of Manwë's sky-eagles. They stopped in the air above Meryl and the fallen Oranwe. The wind stopped for a moment and the petals fell downward in a spiral, until they hit the spilled blood of Oranwe. The petals turned a strange, bright color. Meryl felt some petals hit her, and she looked at the petals that had fallen onto her love. She looked with wonder upon the color. She took a small flask that hung at her waist with some other useful gardener things. She scooped up some of the new pigment.  
  
Many weeks later, after Birion had been banished to eternity in the Void with Morgoth, and Oranwe's body buried and his heavenly spirit sent into the halls of Mandos, Meryl regained some of her former self. Her heart was torn, half of it still lingered with Oranwe's spirit. The flask she had of the blood and petals she placed into a bowl. She took a grinder and mixed the powdery petals with the blood. It turned the same rich, bright color. Manwë came one day, all the way from his seat on the Mounts, to see Meryl. Meryl stood and stumbled to the ground and bowed her head down. Manwë told her to rise, and he spoke to her with his gentle heavenly baritone voice. "My dear, thou hast seen much sorrow and pain. Yet thou art the spirit of life and energy. In thy sorrow you bring little happiness to Aman or Middle- Earth. I ask of you now, to name the color you have created with your petals and Oranwe's blood. Then, thou shalt be allowed two times during the day to use the color, and to use it to paint the sky a suitable shade with his color. It will bring happiness and beauty in the world, and all shall remember Oranwe," he offered, hoping to cheer the child-like maiden. Her eyes lightened up immediately. After Oranwe had died, she had thought endlessly of what to do to remember him, and this was her chance. "I accept, great and good Manwë! Believe me, thou shalt not be disappointed!" She squealed almost with excitement as they parted. She decided to name the color Orange, which was exactly like Oranwe's name, save she decided to change the w to a g. During the morning, he spirit was lifted and the color with her. She chose this for her first time. She flew into the sky, and saw all that one could see. She painted the night-waning sky a beautiful yellow-orange, mixing the color in well. She admired her work, and thought it very good. She chose then to fly up at the day-waning time, and her color followed the sun down into the other side of the world.  
  
And so, Oranwe the spirit is forever remembered. Maybe not totally, but every time the color orange is seen, a little bit of Oranwe and Meryl floats into the sky. Whomsoever loves the color orange, and deems it their favorite color, are brought out as happy, lively and energetic as Meryl. They also bring out the stars and forever into their eyes, and Oranwe's spirit is mixed with Meryl's into their life.  
  
So the color orange was created. 


End file.
